Citizens of the Week: Lifegate Church volunteers minister to the hungry and homeless

Published 7:40 am Friday, June 28, 2024

Providence Ministries is thankful to have many wonderful volunteers throughout the year, according to Deanna LaFerry, administrative assistant at the organization.

Lifegate Church and its dedicated Serve Team members, for instance, have been “a tremendous blessing to us since they started in March 2023,” LaFerry said.

Headquartered at 711 S. Hamilton St. in Dalton, Providence Ministries provides shelter for men, women and children; serves meals to the homeless; provides free Thanksgiving and Christmas meals to the community; and offers addiction recovery programs for those who are troubled by alcohol and drugs.

It also operates several thrift stores that sell inexpensive items ranging from clothes to toys to household items to raise funds for its mission.

“Terri Moilen heads up this caring and selfless team of 20 to 30 members who serve evening meals in our Bread of Life diner twice a month,” LaFerry said. “They also minister in music and song, fellowship one-on-one with our homeless population, and hand out their blessings bags’ (each containing a nutritious snack and water) as the homeless leave. The Serve Team also help prepare and serve at Providence’s two largest events — Thanksgiving and Christmas, feeding over 3,500 individuals.”

In addition to its work with Providence Ministries, Lifegate Church also provides a food pantry and offers food boxes to those in need. Their church number is (706) 259-8115, and it is located at 2744 Cleveland Highway. Their weekly services are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

For their efforts to help the area’s hungry and homeless, the Dalton Daily Citizen names Lifegate Church members Citizens of the Week.